Language and travel advice from our Italian experts!

Dressing for a formal occasion in Italy, whether it’s a dinner, a corporate meeting, or any other important occasion, can be quite intimidating.  Italy is the country of Prada, Gucci, and Armani, and first impressions are crucial in the developing of business relationships; dressing with elegance and panache can mean the difference between respect and derision, success and failure.  So no pressure.

First of all, for both men and women, it is expected that you wear name brand labels, professionally tailored suits of either wool or silk, and expensive shoes.  For men, stick to dark colors; black and navy blue suits are the safest, but a dark grey suit is also appropriate for business situations.  Your tie must be both professional and fashionable; when it comes to patterns, paisley and stripes are both appropriate.  Men can have a little more freedom with their shirts—bright colors are allowed as long as it matches both your tie and your business suit.  Always wear a long-sleeved shirt, even in the summertime, and by no accounts should you ever be seen wearing shorts, which will mark you out as a tourist.  Stay away from accessories of any sort, aside from an expensive, high-quality watch and leather belt to accentuate your professional attire.

Women are also expected to wear dark-colored business suits with a blouse underneath to a professional meeting or gathering.  When in the office, a dress or skirt is acceptable as long as it exudes a professional demeanor—obviously, no backless dresses or miniskirts, no matter how high-end the designer.  Italian women, even in the workplace, tend to wear more makeup and jewelry than women of other nationalities, but make sure that it’s tasteful and ties your outfit together.

As for other aspects of dress, there are plenty of details that can also greatly influence the impression you give of yourself; for men, always make sure you wear knee-high socks rolled up, as it is considered unseemly to have any part of your leg showing underneath your trouser cuff.  Shoes are just as important as the rest of your wardrobe, so make sure that your shoes are of high quality and without scuffs or blemishes.  Men should wear leather shoes with pointed or square toes, and women should wear high heels—two inches is standard in corporate situations, but you may see women in the office with three inches or more.  It’s common for both men and women to wear good perfume or cologne, and for an extra good impression, buy an expensive leather briefcase and business card holder to prove how invested you are in giving off an air of organization and competence.

There are many finer rules to Italian business etiquette that can only be learned firsthand, by interaction with colleagues and gauging their reactions to various situations.  In order to do that, it’s imperative that you travel to Italy with a decent understanding of the Italian language.  Look into our Italian courses, or send us an enquiry to find out what program is right for you.

We all know the iconic opening scene to The Godfather: a lavish wedding reception where Talia Shire surrounded by legions of extended family members all singing, dancing, eating, and drinking.  But is that an accurate portrayal of an Italian wedding?  If you are invited to one, what can you expect to happen?

First of all, Italian weddings—like much of their culture—is steeped in tradition, so many rules are followed that date back generations.  As much of Italian life, especially outside of big cities, is still very religious, marriages can often last all day, beginning with a mass at the local church, followed by the wedding ceremony, or sposalizio, which is performed by the priest.  Afterwards comes the reception, a celebration with friends and relatives that may last all night and into the morning.

As in most western weddings, the bride will generally wear a white gown, (although in the past it was traditional for her to wear a black dress and a white hat,) and it is considered very rude to wear white if you’re a guest to the wedding.  Rather, play it safe and dress in black, which is considered very chic in current Italian fashion.

Another crucial tradition to know before you attend an Italian wedding is that, in lieu of gifts, it is customary to make a donation to the wedding.  Often this will be done in exchange for pieces of the bride’s tossed garter belt, or the groom’s tie.  Other times, money will be given to the bride in exchange for a chance to dance with her, and then the bride’s grandmother will guard the stash of donations.  Otherwise you can just give the money in an envelope to the hosts of the wedding; it is good form to pay around $100-$150, depending on how extravagant the wedding is, how well you know the bride and groom, and how much you can afford.

As with all Italian celebrations, a wedding is filled with good wine and gourmet food for all.  Sweet liquors and other alcoholic drinks will be served to guests before the reception by the best man.  If you don’t wish to drink, make sure to state your case firmly, because for the rest of the night people will be toasting the newlyweds with wine and any other drink in hand.  If you wish to make a toast yourself, the most common one is, “Evviva gli sposi!” meaning, “Long live the newlyweds!” to which it is then seemly for everyone in the room to applaud wildly.  Another popular toast is, “Per Cent’Anni!” meaning, “For a hundred years!” which suggests the hope that the newlyweds may live so long in happiness together.

Of course, to truly get the most out of an Italian wedding, whether it be in elaborate toasts or meeting the relatives, your best bet is to learn some Italian in preparation.  Make an enquiry with us, or check out our listing of language courses to enroll an Italian class as soon as possible.

The presence of social media as a business tool is still a burgeoning idea in the Italian marketplace.  In fact, internet usage is shockingly low compared to other European countries, with only 23 million internet users, and only 39% of households having a broadband connection.  However, Web 2.0 tools are currently popular for marketing and public relations.  And addition to this, public awareness of brands and companies via social media has tripled in the past few years, making a professional social media presence an increasing priority for businesses.

Currently the most widely used networks by Italian consumers are Facebook, followed by YouTube, Messenger, MySpace, LinkedIn, and Skype.  In addition to these global umbrella networks, local specialty networks are also popular and should be taken into account, such as ItalyLink, where users share their interests in the Italian way of life, Vinix, which focuses on connoisseurs of Italian food and drink, and Fubles, which is organized around Italians’ love of football games.ockingly low compared to other European countries, with only 23 million internet users, and only 39% of households having a broadband connection.  However, Web 2.0 tools are currently popular for marketing and public relations.  And addition to this, public awareness of brands and companies via social media has tripled in the past few years, making a professional social media presence an increasing priority for businesses.

In general, social networks such as Facebook are not automatically linked with the business world, as many Italians prefer to do business face-to-face, which they feel provides a better understanding of partners and situations.  However, when making first contact with a business partner, it is appropriate to introduce yourself to a prospective colleague via LinkedIn, or by sending a good, old-fashioned email query.

Among teenagers, predictably, MySpace and Badoo are very popular, while in professional circles LinkedIn and Xing are the leading networks.  Twitter has sonly just started to make headway as a powerful tool in business communication.  Blogs also represent a relatively large movement in online communications, with many Italians posting articles and videos, as well as following and participating in discussions on blogs about politics and current affairs.

Other fringe media networks, which are scarcely used but should be taken advantage of for their incredible promoting power in Italian society, are picture and video sharing sites such as Flickr, Slideshare, and YouTube.  Platforms specific to Italy include Libero, Tuo Video, and C6 TV, which allow users to upload and post their own videos.  Podcasts and online radio stations are also more prevalent in Italy than they are in the United States, with many journalists and newscasters having their own audio blogs where internet users can tune in to listen to subjects they care about.

While much of the Italian business world remains steeped in tradition, a shift towards a more connected lifestyle is undeniable, and companies such as Fiat and Barilla have taken advantage of social media with notable success.  If you’re seeking to expand your business in Italy, it would be prudent to jump on the internet bandwagon quickly to maximize the efficiency of your communication with possible clients and partners.  To do this, even with the help of an interpreter, it would be best if you started off with at least a basic knowledge of the Italian language.  So send us a free inquiry and let us set you up with the Italian course that’s right for you.

Traveling to a foreign country can be stressful, especially if you aren’t sure about local etiquette customs.  How late or early should you show up to a meeting?  What sort of table manners are expected of you?  What topics of conversation should be avoided at all costs?  Especially if you’re traveling to Italy—Italians are known for being incredibly friendly and welcoming to visitors, but also quite rude to those who offend them—being able to follow the general rules of deportment will ensure that you have smooth travels from start to finish.

1. First Impressions: Many Italians have a very extraverted, ebullient persona, and it is common in Italian culture to hug or kiss friends hello.  This probably won’t happen if you’re meeting someone for a first time, but in case it does it would be appropriate to respond with a hug back and one light kiss to the cheek.  By no means back away from hugging, as this may depict you as a cold person.  When speaking in English, keep your voice down—Americans are known in Europe for being extremely loud, and most people find it obnoxious.
2. Table Manners: Always keep your hands above the table and do not attempt to share food with colleagues—this isn’t done in Italy.  Italian hosts are food-pushers, so you may have to be very insistent that you don’t want any more once you’re finished eating.  Make sure you keep your wineglass at least half-filled, otherwise your server will continually top it up.  A 10-15% tip at a restaurant is appreciated, but not necessary.  And if you really want to go local, don’t order cappuccino after breakfast—only espresso.
3. How To Dress:  Italians are very fashion-conscious, so always be sure to dress formally when you meet with colleagues.  A dark suit with a white shirt and an expensive tie is always sure to impress—if you are a woman, dress stylishly and wear business-professional makeup and jewelry.  Even during leisure time, try to steer away from wearing shorts and sandals, as this will mark you out as a tourist.

1. What Topics To Avoid:  Anything about politics, American foreign policy, religion, and the Mafia.  It may also be considered forward if you ask a new acquaintance about their family without their offering this information, and of course never ask a woman her age.  Italy is diverse country with deeply engrained rivalries between regions, particularly in the North and the South, so never compare different areas of Italy—you will be sure to offend someone.
2. Learning Italian: The best way to demonstrate a deep respect and interest in Italian culture is to learn their language.  Even just knowing the basics will help you immensely, both in your travels and in developing relationships in the business world.  Overall, Italians are very patient and supportive of those trying to learn their language, and they will be thrilled to see that you’re making an effort to communicate with them on their own ground.  Inquiry about your Italian course today and get started as soon as possible learning what many consider the most beautiful language in the world.

Federico Fellini’s last great masterpiece, 8 ½, can be viewed as his most autobiographical work, the swansong of an artist who is out of ideas and questioning his purpose in life.  Like its predecessor La Dolce Vita, 8 ½ is an esoteric, black and white art film starring Marcello Mastroianni as Guido Anselmi, a jaded, egotistical womanizer whose life is one ongoing existential crisis.  Rather than a hack journalist, Guido is a big time movie producer trying to come to terms with his life by turning it into a film.  The trials he undergoes in trying to get it underway present themselves as dream sequences and flashbacks that blend seamlessly with the absurdity of the modern condition.

8 ½ represents Fellini’s decided move away from the neo-realism school of Italian filmmaking, as it starts off with a nightmare and continues with a series of vignettes that are so surreal that the audience is never entire sure what’s a dream, what’s reality, and whether the whole thing isn’t in fact one of Guido’s egotistical delusions.  Throughout the film, strains of classical music serve as a backdrop to the protagonist’s life, symbolizing the artistic ideal he will never attain as long as he remains absorbed in his phony, over-indulged lifestyle.  Thus, Fellini deconstructs the fundamental crisis at the heart of every artistic endeavor, that being how can one create something real and beautiful when one’s whole existence is built on lies?  As Guido’s hollow relationship with his wife, Louisa, comes to light, he descends deeper and deeper into his memories to try to figure out where his “complex,” as he calls it, originated.

A strong theme running through the movie is that of the stranglehold the Catholic Church exerts over Italy, a nation which can never truly move forward until it turns away from superstition and the Church’s hypocritical moral code.  In a dream sequence where Guido begs advice from a cardinal, symbolically obscured by the haze of a steam room and entirely removed from the populace he’s meant to serve, the cardinal sanctimoniously tells him, “Why should you be happy?  That is not your task.”  Later, in a telling flashback where a gaggle of priests viciously shame a young Guido for dancing with a local madwoman, the audience gets a clue as to the confusion and fascination Guido—and consequently Italian masculinity as a whole—has with women and sexuality.  Overwhelmed by the combined pressure of the film industry and his relationship problems, Guido fantasizes a bizarre paradise where he is the master of a harem of women, all of them pandering sexual objects but at the same time mother-figures who cook and clean, and even bathe and swaddle him.

The film ends in a carnival-esque romp with all the characters from Guido’s life—including his wife, who agrees to accept him as he is—suggesting some sort of redemption is in the protagonist’s reach, whether real or imagined.  Fellini’s most surreal work, 8 ½ is a pastiche of existence in an Italy torn between tradition and progress, but mostly of the Italian male—macho and perpetually adolescent, trying to create something beautiful but at the same time driven to lie compulsively, all the while incapable of grasping the root of their problems, which is their failure to love.

Hand gestures and non-verbal language are a crucial part to any culture, and to the Italians more than most.  In Italy, hand gestures are a natural way of illustrating a conversation, and typically the more immersed you get in what you’re saying, the more ebullient your gestures become.  Growing up, I could see the stark difference between the Italian approach to gesturing as opposed to everyone else’s when we had our extended family over for Christmas dinner.  Relatives on my father’s side, all of German-Irish stock, ate quickly and efficiently and cleared their end of the table to make way for dessert, drinks, and presents; three hours later, the Italian relatives on my mother’s side were still working away at their meals—they were busy talking, and of course talking involved the necessity of putting down utensils to move one’s hands along with the story.

The art of Italian hand gestures is both eloquent and subtle, and can require some translating to the uninitiated.  For example, the way my nonna always urged me to come over to her was by extending her arm, palm-down, and flapping her fingers forwards and backwards—a gesture which can often be mistaken by English-speakers to mean “goodbye,” or “go away.”  On the other hand, the iconic gesture of holding up one’s hands, palms inward, with all the fingers pinched together can have various meanings according to context, body language, and facial expressions: from “whaddaya want from me?” to “delectable!” to an expression of emphasis or urgency.  A display of prayer hands, palms pressed together and fingers pointed Heavenward, generally accompanied with the exclamation, “Madonna!” connotes exasperation.  To slice downwards with your thumb along your cheek expresses that you are impressed with someone’s cleverness, whereas pointing to the eye with the index finger from below implies that someone was sneaky or a smart-aleck.

So where did this culture of gesturing come from, and why did it catch on so famously in Italy?   One theory is that, in light of a history of being almost constantly occupied by foreign nations, Italians came to depend on hand gestures as a secretive way of communicating under enemies’ noses.  Another is that gesturing wildly was originally a method of gaining attention and standing one’s ground in overcrowded cities such as Rome and Naples.  Interestingly, scholars have found gestures painted on Ancient Greek vases that correspond exactly to gestures still used in Italy, suggesting that while spoken languages evolve, gestures, which tap into something primal and instinctive, do not.

At any rate, hand gestures are so prevalent in Italian culture that, astoundingly, people will use them to punctuate telephone conversations.  Some Italian gestures—particularly the insults—have even become universally recognized, such as the unmistakable using one arm to strike the inside of your elbow while the other arm shoots up, and the action of brushing your fingertips outwards along your chin.  Actually, this second gesture, while interpreted as incredibly insulting in other cultures, is more a display of defiance among Italians, meaning something along the lines of, “I don’t give a damn.”  In this light, hand gestures, whatever their origin, exist to preserve a sense of rebelliousness against authority figures, which Italy has had its share of throughout the ages.  In a society that is becoming more and more impersonalized, gestures in any culture serve as an emphatic reminder of one’s individuality.

On Sunday visits to Little Italy while growing up, I was always struck by the image of local old men playing bocce in the center of the neighborhood.  (They were always grandfathers—one of the requirements of playing bocce publically seemed to be you had to be at least sixty years old.)  They would toss red and green ceramic balls into the square patch of sand and then sit out their turns in lawn chairs, drinking strong coffee from the nearby Vacarro’s café.  Bocce, I always figured, was the Italian-American version of dominoes—it took depth perception and keen judgment but not an enormous amount of athletic prowess.  At the same time, it was sporty enough to inspire all sorts of competition between different teams, with bets being placed and good-natured joshing firing off left and right between opponents.

The game of bocce dates back to the Roman Empire, named after the word boccia, Italian for “bowl,” and records exist of Roman soldiers playing bocce with stones in between fighting with the Carthaginians during the Punic Wars in 264 BC.  Like many Italian customs, it has since then spread internationally through Italian immigrants and is currently popular worldwide, especially in countries to the east of Italy such as Croatia, Montenegro, and Bosnia.  The aim of the game in bocce is to throw a ball that weighs roughly three pounds down the length of a playing field about 90 feet in length, having it land as close as possible to a small, white ball called the boccino or pallino.  People can play individually or in teams of up to eight players, and the first team who reaches twelve points wins.

While the sport of bocce is closely related to the British game “bowling on the green,” it is much more refined, requiring skill, strategy, and cunning.  In fact, while bocce is played by many for both exercise and relaxation, it has shown great health benefits for elderly players—not only does it get you outdoors and interacting with other people, (which studies have shown can be a powerful asset against Alzheimer’s, as it keeps your mind and body active,) but it was declared by the Montpelier Medical Faculty in France to be the best exercise to prevent rheumatism.

As a child, I remember my grandfather taking part in local bocce tournaments—my grandmother approved because it got him out of the house and there was little to no risk of him injuring himself—and we would all tag along to support him.  Tournaments were always very sociable, night-time events held in the center of Little Italy where all the players’ families would show up with food and wine.  They would turn into miniature festivals with music and dancing as people got more and more excited over the turnout of the games.  Moreover, the tournaments drew fantastic business for the surrounding restaurants and cafes, making it a win-win situation for everyone.  Not only was it a good excuse for people to get together and have a good time, but it was a hands-on, energetic way of celebrating our heritage.

At some point of your education, whether at the end of secondary school or the beginning of university, you’ve probably encountered Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, a collection of stories a rag-tag group of pilgrims tell each other, the defining literary work of Middle English.  In fact, virtually all of Chaucer’s stories are derived from an earlier work, The Decameron, composed by “the father of Italian prose,” Giovanni Boccaccio around the year 1350.

Much like Dante’s obsession with the number 9, Boccaccio drew on medieval numerological traditions and used the number 10 as a symbol throughout his book; in the midst of the Black Death, ten young people escape from Florence to hang out in the countryside for ten days—hence the title, Decameron.  Because YouTube parties were not yet a thing, to entertain themselves they declare that everyone has to tell a story, resulting in a hundred stories told over the course of ten days.  These stories cover the full span of human nature, with a different theme set for each day: love stories, tragedies, tales of mischief, tricks, and virtue.

The tales are in turn bawdy and satirical, offering keen insights on the human condition during the early Renaissance.  Many are vignettes exposing the greed and corruption of the Catholic Church, in which clergymen are depicted as lewd, opportunistic megalomaniacs, not at all the spiritual leaders they were meant to be.  This, as well as Boccaccio’s depiction of sex as a natural, often comedic part of human existence, were virtually unthinkable in a post-medieval Italy dominated by religion, where asceticism and the life of the spirit were taught to be of prime importance and the Black Death was believed by many to be God’s punishment for mankind’s sins.  Boccaccio, through his jocular tales of cuckolded husbands, scheming young women, sexually voracious nuns, and money-grubbing friars, was able to pave the way towards the Renaissance’s focus on humanism and secularism.

Also unprecedented was Boccaccio’s treatment of women in his stories; while in Italian society of the times women were viewed as inferior to men, Boccaccio actually depicted them as having the upper hand to men in most relationships, as being altogether tougher, more lustful, and more cunning.  Many of the tales in the Decameron depict battles between the sexes, with women emerging victorious due to their superior wit, tolerance in the face of adversity, among other virtues.

Boccaccio also proved himself centuries ahead of his time—which was very emphatic in proscribing women from the public sphere, insisting that their only satisfaction should lie in taking care of the home and family.  Boccaccio, in the voices of his seven female raconteurs, takes a sympathetic view of women’s condition, in which lovesickness is more keen, daily trials more difficult, and unreached potential more frustrating, because women are not permitted to act out in any of these aspects.

Through his many tales of women outsmarting men, outperforming men sexually, and finding ways around the constrictions society—and the Church in particular—placed on them, Boccaccio stood out as one of the only public figures of his time who depicted women realistically.  Unlike other writers of the early Renaissance, most notably Dante and Petrarch, who viewed women in the dualistic way popularized by religious teachings—pure, saintly, and acquiescent in the tradition of the Virgin Mary or whorish, demonic, and out to corrupt all of mankind—Boccaccio was able to write women as individual and flawed, having lives and desires independent of men, rather than moral archetypes.  In the scope of European literature, this was not seen again in mainstream thought until the 18^th century.

In Italy, as in Spain and other Mediterranean countries, it is the cultural norm, when one is going out for drinks or dancing with friends, to not leave the house until 11:00 or 12:00 at night—or even 1:00 or 2:00 in the morning, if you want to be really fashionable.  Of course, there are plenty of different factors leading to this socially sanctioned night-owlery; many of these cultures involve a mid-day nap, leaving people energized and alert through the wee hours of the night.  Most bars don’t have a last call for drinks until 6:00 in the morning or later.  During the summer months, it’s best to wait until the sun has gone down for a few hours before it’s cool enough to venture out.  But, I am convinced, one of the driving factors behind this phenomenon of late partying lies in Italy’s fondness for drinking espresso.

In English-speaking countries, we’re familiar with espresso, that is, the thick, dark, drink brewed by pressure-forcing a stream of almost boiling water through finely ground coffee beans, mainly as the main ingredient in cappuccinos, lattes, macchiatos, and other milder coffee drinks.  But in Italy, espresso—or caffé, as they call is—is commonly drunk black, out of small, white mugs, without milk or even sugar to adulterate its taste.  (My first taste of properly brewed, straight espresso in Venice was such a shock, after growing up on overly sugary Starbucks beverages, that I wasn’t sure if the stuff was hot or cold, bitter or sour.  However, I was aware of a direct charge of caffeine straight to my system.)

While the first European coffeehouse was opened in Venice in the 17^th century and then spread like wildfire across the peninsula, espresso itself was not conceived until much later.  Espresso first became Italy’s secondary staple beverage (after wine, of course,) at the beginning of the 20^th century, when Desiderio Pavoni bought the patent to the newly-invented espresso machine, which sent a controlled supply of steam and hot water separately through the coffee.  As he set up his company, La Pavoni, espresso bars became local hotspots for socializing and recreation—espresso was widely viewed as a way to stimulate conversation and keep one’s energy up.  This tradition of cafes as places for social gathering spread throughout Europe and North America along with the Italian diaspora.

Today in Italy, drinking espresso or coffee in general is practically a ritual, and there are very specific rules of etiquette that you should follow.  At most espresso bars you’ll see, locals often drink their espresso in two to three quick shots at the bar, right before rushing off to their next engagement; people who sit at tables and savor their beverages are often taken to be tourists.  When ordering an espresso in Italy, ask for un caffé, as the term “espresso” is the base ingredient added to coffee beverages, such as a latte, (equal parts steamed milk and espresso,) or a cappuccino (equal parts steamed milk, froth, and espresso—historically, the name comes from the Capuchin friars, who were known for their brown garb and ring of brown hair.)  Most importantly of all, it is unheard of to order coffee with milk in it after breakfast, and to ask for a cappuccino any time after mid-morning may earn you some odd looks.

Although today coffee and coffeehouses are ubiquitous, the true aficionado of the Italian coffee culture can always tell the difference between artistically brewed coffee and that of lesser quality.  While the cultivation of coffee is thought to have originated in Ethiopia, like so many traditions, Italy has managed to adopt it and perfect it.  So the next time you’re grabbing a quick cup of Java on your way to work, remember that you have Italy to thank for your daily caffeine boost.

Greek mythology tells of the birth of the city of Athens.  On its creation, both the god Poseidon and his niece, Athena, wanted to be patron of the city, so they proposed a contest: whoever could give the city a better gift would gain control of it.  So Poseidon struck the ground with his trident, unloosing a spring of water for the townspeople, but the water was as salty as the ocean and not much use to them.  Then Athena, the goddess of wisdom, gave the people of the city a small olive tree, explaining that this tree would provide them with fruit, oil, and wood.  Athena won the contest; the city was forever after known as “Athens,” and the olive tree became sacred to the goddess.

Ever since ancient times, the olive has been a staple crop among Mediterranean societies, and Italy is no different.  (In fact, virtually every language that has Latin influence derives its word for oil from its word for olive.)  One of the world’s top producers of olives and olive products, Italy views the olive as a symbol of culture and fertility, and the time of the raccolta delle olive—the olive harvest—is marked with feasts and festivals.  Lasting roughly from the middle of November to the beginning of the Advent calendar, the olive harvest represents for many the reaping of a year’s worth of hard work in preparation for the Christmas season.

While to the uninitiated, one type of olive may be largely the same as the next, the true connoisseur knows there are many varieties, such as the Tuscan moraiolo, of an intense flavor which produces an intense oil, or the leccino, which produces a mild, golden oil, or the frantoio, which produces green oil with a fruity flavor.  After harvesting, olives destined to be eaten have to be cured with lye or brine, or packed in salt for a few months to remove the chemical present in fresh olives, oleuropein.  They are often marinated to add flavor, and stuffed with a garnish such as feta cheese, pimientos, anchovies, almonds, garlic cloves—virtually anything you can imagine!

Contrary to what those of us whose only familiarity with olive oil is in a bottle on a supermarket shelf, the uses of olive oil go far beyond mere cookery.  (Though, of course, you’d be hard-pressed—if you’ll pardon the pun—to find an Italian dish without it.)  The ancient Roman gladiators used to rub themselves down with olive oil before fighting, to soothe and limber up tense muscles.    In the Dark Ages the Catholic Church—the last vestiges of the organized hierarchical state of the Roman Empire—saw to it that olive cultivation didn’t fall by the wayside.  The Church used it for sacraments, and for lighting oil lamps.  Italian monks raised olive trees and used the oil to clear up rashes, headaches, stomachaches, and ear infections.  To this day, olive oil is hailed for its health properties, especially in fighting cholesterol and reducing the risk of heart disease.  Moreover, warm olive oil mixed with avocado can be used as an excellent hair mask, replenishing key nutrients such as Vitamin E to damaged and brittle hair.

Olive trees are such a widely useful plant that it’s no wonder civilizations have been cultivating them for thousands of years.  (Contrary to the myth, first evidence of domesticated olive trees comes from areas around Syria and Palestine.)  With the olive a rich symbol of peace and prosperity appearing commonly throughout western literature and history—Odysseus sat under an olive tree for shade; the dove returned to Noah’s ark with an olive branch in its beak; the Prophet Mohammed once referred to the olive tree as blessed—it’s no wonder that Italy is proud of its status as one of the leading olive producers in the world.